Conversations with an internal pollster for Obama...Very enlightening indeed! Posted by: David_Rasbold

I encourage you to not only read the article (HT to Meg of Alaska), but also many of the comments. But I have taken this excerpt, and highlighted for emphasis...

"As she was explaining her perspective it dawned on her to ask why he (the Obama internal pollster) was interested in her view of Palin. He replied that Obama's campaign is extremely nervous about the energized republican base and what he called the "unkown factor" regarding Palin's draw as a candidate.

In the polls they're conducting around the country, and my boss wasn't able to relay specific numbers, the Obama campaign is very, very worried about how Palin appears to be energizing whole groups of people who don't typically get energized about politics, precisely because she appeals so strongly to the middle class, as well as women and dissatisfied republicans that stayed home in 2006.

More than that, they don't know how to guage and predict the support of people typically turned off by politics, but that are enamored with her "up from the bootstraps" appeal.

I say all of this because this pollster conveyed strong concern about their standing going into the homestretch. They are very concerned about winning the vote of the middle class and whole swaths of the electorate they consider the "unkowns." In fact, and based on her conversation with this internal pollster for Obama, he's not ahead in the polls as we're being told. He's at best tied.

Look, take it for what it is. But what I know is that we're being sold a bill of goods by the media. Why? Not to be conspiratorial, but they likely just want to dispirit us, precisely because Obama has yet to seal the deal. He should be way ahead this season, but he's not.

I'll close by saying that we have several weeks left. The Obama camp internally knows they haven't wrapped this thing up. Let's keep on fighting (and even if we have to drag McCain over the finish line - as Rush fondly exhorts us to do - let's do it) and let's win this thing!"

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Date: Thu, Oct 16, 2008 at 1:47 PM

Here is a diary of a guy from Colorado - He explains about a conversation with his boss who is republican and her luncheon with a person who is a pollster with Obama campaign.   Very interesting, and up lifting getting some info from the inside.     http://www.redstate.com/diaries/david_rasbold/2008/oct/16/conversations-with-an-internal-pollster-for-o/